Future Projects
by Prince Mikhail
Summary: A collection of sneak peaks into stories I have either begun writing in full, or have drafted vague outlines for...all of which are intended for eventually publication as full short stories of about 30k words... Kindly take some time to read through them and leave your thoughts in a review, as obviously, the most favored story will be the first to be written
1. Dragon Lord

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted works referenced – directly or otherwise – here.**

**AN : A story that came to me one day as I watched a clip. I fully intend – when I am done with my two main stories – to flesh it out into a full story much later. Anyway, this is just a sneak peak, really, of what would probably be a short story - about 30k words perhaps...**

* * *

Young Harry lay curled up on the floor in the cupboard under the stairs, his body weakened from severe hunger and dehydration. Despite the reassurances of the Minister of Magic, the Dursleys had not forgotten what he had done to Marge Dursley the previous summer.

The moment he had stepped through the door after returning from school, he had been summarily accosted and tossed into the cupboard. His trunk had been forced in after him, further shrinking the already limited space inside his previous bedroom. The Dursleys had then left for a three day trip to celebrate the end of Dudley's school year. Though a terrible fate to suffer through, three days of no food would not have left Harry in the state he was in. However, the Dursleys had been unexpectedly delayed, and their absence had extended to ten days and counting.

Harry was on his last legs. His laboured breathing was the only sound in his room, and in the entire house. Slowly, he could feel the last of his strength failing him. He was already too weak to keep his eyes open, and he couldn't feel the previously constant biting pain of his stomach acids digesting his stomach lining. Finally, his body gave out, and with a sigh that was almost relieved, Harry James Potter passed on.

Lord Hadrian James Potter, Master of Death, gazed down at the dead body of his counterpart. He had sensed, in the child's heart, a desire to depart the mortal world that had brought him nothing but pain and suffering and so, he had not intervened, understanding that it would be a greater mercy to let the child pass on.

Tapping into his powers over the most primordial force in Existence, he ensured that little Harry's soul was reunited with his departed mother and father, _and he was sad to see_, with his departed godfather as well; apparently, Sirius, in this life, had perished in Azkaban.

With that taken care of, he seamlessly slipped into the empty body before him. He then tapped into whatever memories had not yet deteriorated from his new body's brain and learned about the new world he was in. He found that it was what he usually referred to as a 'Vanilla Reality', scarce in life changing surprises such as him being born a squib in a few lives, or even being adopted by Voldemort in others. This Harry had just been regular…_ordinary_…if a little more meek and downtrodden than usual.

He then proceeded with the second step of his usual routine when hopping worlds. He cast his senses inwards and sought out any lingering side-effects from the night Voldemort had attacked and killed his parents. He sighed in disappointment when he sensed the presence of a soul sliver in the vicinity of his lightning bolt scar. His magic surged forward to surround the soul piece, and then with ruthless efficiency, it tore into it, consuming it, stripping it of its individuality, and adding it to Hadrian's soul and the stores of magic of his new body – already vast in their own right, when compared to the reserves of his peers.

Hadrian closed his eyes as he rapidly parsed through the memories contained in the soul piece, and as he felt his magical core expand the slightest bit, he spared a second to think,

_Hocruxes, how plebeian_

* * *

Hadrian sat in one of the chairs in the living room as he awaited the arrival of the Weasleys. He had _suggested_ to his family that it was perhaps better for all involved if they made themselves scarce at the time.

Ever since the return of the Dursleys from their extended trip, things had not been the same. It had taken just a few minutes to thoroughly convince them that their continued existence depended on Hadrian's happiness and that their usual modus operandi would no longer hold. Vernon, of course, had needed a little more _persuasion _before he understood that in the Wizarding World, might did not equal size.

He had also taken the liberty to magic away the electric fireplace to be replaced with a more traditional and open one – a temporary change however as it would revert to its original form later in the day.

The fireplace abruptly flared up with green fire, pulling him out of his thoughts, and four of the Weasley males came trooping out of it, looking around in interest at the Muggle room around them as they had not yet noticed the presence of the other occupant.

The twins were the first to spot the sable haired child sitting in one of the chairs before them, and after getting over their surprise at the noticeable changes in the other teen, they surged forward with a happy cry, distracting their father from his musings on the various Muggle appliances surrounding them.

Latching on to either side of him, Fred and George Weasley spoke in unison, as they were wont to do,

"Harrykins!"

Laughing at the twins' antics, Hadrian returned their double hug, once again surprising them at the ease with which he did so.

Arthur Weasley, having also taken the time to observe the noticeable changes in the black haired child before him, moved forward with an outstretched hand to greet said teen.

Firmly grasping the offered hand, Hadrian cheerfully returned the Weasley patriarch's greeting, before turning to the last member of the retrieval party.

While his brothers and father had been meeting his best friend, Ronald Weasley had been scowling in jealousy at Hadrian's noticeably nicer clothes which seemed to have replaced the oversized rags he had often been seen in.

Further adding to his ire was the similarly surprising fact that Hadrian was now as tall as he was, having previously been one of the shortest boys in their year.

Those changes, in addition to the lack of hideous glasses which had often served to detract from Hadrian's alluring green eyes, combined to make Hadrian seem like the young lord he was born to be.

A fact which didn't settle right with Ronald Weasley.

So, when Hadrian moved forward to greet his friend, all he got in return was a half-hearted mumbled greeting.

Withholding a sigh as one of his suspicions about this world was proven true, Hadrian instead spun to face the other Weasleys present, and ignoring Arthur's puzzled frown at his youngest boy's behaviour, gestured at his trunk – noticing that Ron's frown tightened as the brand new trunk was revealed – and said,

"Well, as you can see Mr Weasley, I have my things here and I am ready to leave."

Snapping back to the matter at hand, Arthur quickly hurried the children back through the Floo, after Hadrian assured him that the Dursleys wouldn't mind his leaving without them present.

As soon as he stepped out of the Floo, Hadrian braced himself and right on cue, a bushy-haired missile rammed against his chest though he merely had to lean back a tad to absorb the impact.

Easily translating the babbled speech originating from said bushy haired projectile, he responded,

"It's good to see you too Hermione, and thank you, my holiday was wonderful actually."

Drawing up short at his last statement, Hermione pulled back to take in Hadrian's form and found herself fighting down a blush as she noticed the changes that had been wrought upon him over the summer.

Having finally mastered herself, she responded in a slightly smug tone,

"You see, I told you, all you had to do was keep your head down and you would be fine."

Offering a bland smile at the smug looking witch, Hadrian merely replied in a polite tone,

"Yes…quite."

Turning from the perplexed Hermione, he aimed a charming smile at Molly Weasley and easily accepted the hug bestowed upon him, not seeming awkward as he usually had whenever she performed similar acts of affection.

Stepping back from the Weasley matriarch, he was about to thank her for having him over when Hermione interrupted him,

"I nearly forgot to ask, Harry, but have you done your assigned homework yet?"

Yet before he could respond to her question, she immediately continued, forcing him to cut her off with an implacable tone that left those present blinking in surprise at him,

"I imagine you wouldn't have. Honestly Harry, you should really not be so lazy with your -"

"I have, in fact, finished all my holiday homework and assigned reading."

And as he watched the look of scepticism enter her eyes, Hadrian was forced to bite back another sigh.

_Honestly, _he thought to himself, _sighing so much; my age must be showing_.

* * *

Hadrian sat calmly inside the champion's tent as he listened to the crowd make the appropriate noises while Krum attempted to retrieve his golden egg from the dragon guarding it.

Earlier, before the task had begun, Neville had managed to sneak in to see Hadrian to wish him good luck; being practically the only person who had believed Hadrian once his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire.

Now, as he stood up at the announcement of his name, Hadrian fought down a mischievous grin as he stepped through the tent flap.

He recalled the words he had spoken to Neville that morning, with all those nearby shamelessly eavesdropping,

"_Scared? I suppose one would expect me to be, Neville. I don't know about being afraid, but I do know this. Someone put my name in that cup to, at best, humiliate me, and at worst, kill me. There is only one thing left for me to do, and that is to win, and to do so in style._"

Confidently, he strolled into the rocky clearing, seemingly not paying attention to the hulking form of the Hungarian Horntail crouched at the corner of his vision.

Once he got into a position that easily allowed him to face the dragon as well as afforded the spectators a clear view of the proceedings, he stopped.

The dragon seemed to observe him for a moment, before it threw back its head and let loose a ground shaking roar of defiance and rage, startling shrieks of fright from many in the audience.

Through its bellow of challenge, Hadrian stood unperturbed, unflinching as the wave of sound washed over him like a tidal wave.

Once the dragon finished its threatening display, Hadrian locked eyes with the magnificent beast, took a step forward, opened his mouth, and _roared_,

"_Dracan! Nán dyd ǽlc áciere miss. Géate' stǽr ábære gárrǽs. Géate cyre. Mé tácen átende diegollice."_

And with the spectators looking on in stunned shock, Bagman himself having long since been silenced in surprise, the dragon slowly dropped her head, coming to rest lying flat on the ground.

Regally, as though he were a king before a loyal subject, Hadrian strode up to the dragon and gently stroked her snout, and in the sudden silence, all who were present heard the deep rumbling purr in her chest.

Turning from the dragon, he scooped up the golden egg, and fearlessly showing his back to the powerful beast, he strode from arena, making his way over to a stupefied Madame Pomfrey.

Abruptly, the silence was shattered as every single member of the audience – excepting a handful of Slytherins – surged to their feet in raucous applause, actually managing to surpass the Dragon's previous challenging bellow in sheer volume.

Seated in the medical tent, Hadrian smiled to himself.

* * *

**Translation: **_Dragon! I command you to stop this reign of terror. You must obey me and follow my will. For I have you under my power. _


	2. Chronicles of the Hougyoku

**AN : Another sneak peak…Here, I took the concept of my Eternal Sage and applied it to Ichigo and the Hōgyoku…Obviously, there will be differences , but that is a basic explanation. Furthermore, once I am done with the bleach canon-verse, I intend to go on to show alternate realities much like I will do with the Eternal Sage. As usual, please take some time to tell me your thoughts on this story in a review down below…Cheers!**

* * *

Ichigo panted as he lay in the dust at Aizen's feet, his vision darkening as he lost blood by the gallons.

After his rush attack against Aizen, the traitorous captain had nonchalantly cleaved his body in twain. Now, he lay dying in the dirt, while around him, the full measure of Aizen's betrayal was revealed to the leadership of the Soul Society.

He fought valiantly to stay awake, knowing that the sleep that beckoned him was of the eternal kind. Even the maniacal voice of his inner Hollow, whose existence he was in firm denial of, was completely silent. Yet, he felt the last of his strength fail, and slowly, his eyes slid closed.

Kurosaki Ichigo was dead.

The shinigami gathered on the Execution Hill stilled as they detected a sudden change in the air. The ancient Captain Commander was the first to understand what had set his senses off.

_The air was lighter_.

The ridiculous amounts of energy that the orange haired teenager had been constantly putting out had vanished.

His wizened gaze turned to the still body of the teen, lying in a fatally large pool of blood andhHe resisted a sorrowful sigh at the loss of such a young life; especially one filled with such potential.

Rukia's scream of horror tinged with disbelief clued in any of the others who hadn't yet made the connection. She struggled against her brother's hold, trying to get to Ichigo who _couldn't be dead...just couldn't be dead_.

Byakuya was stoic as he held Rukia's form, his tightened lips and tight gaze the only indications of his feelings.

The other captains present, especially Ukitake and Kyouraku, were silent as they took in the recently deceased body of the _child_ who had barged into their domain, mindlessly shaking them out of their complacency. They had only known him for a short while, but they all acknowledged that Kurosaki Ichigo had been a rare individual.

Inoue had tears trailing down her cheeks, with her sobs just barely muffled by the hands clasped to her lips. Ishida was completely tensed and motionless, as his dark gaze rested on his _almost friend_. Chad had to fight to keep his breathing even, knowing that if he lost his head and rushed Aizen, he would be throwing away his life and failing in their years old promise to protect what the other cherished most.

Aizen had paused in his speech when he registered the absence of Ichigo to his senses. He turned an unreadable gaze on the boy he had expected so much from, and had to withhold a disappointed sigh. As he turned back to face the other captains, he caught a flicker of black at the corner of his eye.

Some of those present tensed when the ground under Ichigo suddenly cratered, their stunned gazes being pulled from the slowly fading afterimage where his body had laid, by the sounds of a choked off breath and the gurgle of internal injuries. Numerous eyes widened in shock when they saw Ichigo's black bankai blade lodged through Tousen's chest.

Ichigo's left hand blurred upwards and impacted with Tousen's torso, launching him towards the gathered captains, while simultaneously wrenching the blade out of him.

Fluidly, Ichigo spun to face Aizen, and quick as a flash, he was off.

Only the captains present were able to follow him as he raced across the ground, and even then, to a few of them he was simply a blur of black.

Aizen, standing heads above most of the captains in power, easily tracked his approach, his own blade blurring up to his right to intercept whatever attack Ichigo would launch at him. His eyes widened however, when his blade passed through the black blur as though it were cutting through air. He quickly spun to his left when he sensed an object hurtling through the air beside him, all the while his quick mind tried to understand how Ichigo had evaded his attack. He anticipated a sword strike and prepared to shift out of the way. However, Ichigo merely blew past him, his eyes focused on another prey.

Ichimaru's normally slitted eyes opened in shock once he noticed who Ichigo's next target was. He smoothly collected himself and in a flash, he struck,

**Ikorose, Shinsou **(Shoot to Death, Shinsou)

With a glow of silver light, his blade extended nigh instantaneously, piercing through the air previously occupied by Ichigo's chest.

Before Gin's blade could be retracted, Ichigo came out of his low swirl next to the standing form of the silver haired traitor, his black blade already on a path to bisect him, staring from his right hip and ending at his left shoulder.

With a muffled curse, Gin lurched backwards, just barely turning the fatal strike into a serious injury.

Ichigo, face still blank and eyes a fierce brown, spun towards Aizen, who was calmly looking back at him, showing in his relaxed posture just how confident he was of Ichigo's inability to even scratch him.

Ichigo took a step towards him, and then slowly fell forward, landing flat on his face, and remained unmoving.

Most of those gathered let loose sighs of relief, some less noticeable than others, when they realized that they could now sense reiatsu from him again.

Aizen moved to speak when he sensed the arrival of his escort out of there. Smothering a sigh, he silently turned his calculating gaze back to the surprising orange haired teen who was laid out, completely passed out before him.

As the negacion came down around him and Gin, he noticed that Tousen had not moved from where he had landed, probably dead. He cast his senses out and all he could feel from his body were traces of Ichigo's reiatsu, particularly around the wound in his chest.

He turned his consideration back to the captains, who were by now watching him and his surviving accomplice. With a charismatic smile on his face, he gave his closing performance and speech, all the while wondering what surprises Kurosaki Ichigo would provide in the future.

* * *

Inoue was already in motion before the tear in the sky had completely vanished, her fairies flashing towards Ichigo to set up her healing bubble. She got there and turned his body onto its back and failed to stifle her horrified gasp at the severity of his wound. Stunned that he had been able to move so fast when he was so injured, she began the process of putting him back together.

By this time, Unohana had made her way towards the two teens, along with an anxious Rukia and a worried Renji. Ishida and Chad were not too far behind either. The captain of the Fourth division knelt beside Inoue, her hands glowing green, as she prepared to aid in the healing of the surprising young man. She just barely kept her eyes from widening when a tanned hand was suddenly gripping her right arm. She turned her gaze down to meet the calm brown eyes of the previously unconscious teen, and noticed the motion of his head, which she followed to see Tousen's still body.

With the faint stirrings of suspicion in her mind, she got up and made her way over to his body. The others, except Inoue, looked up from whatever they were doing as she stopped to kneel beside the body of the traitor. Before their surprised eyes, her hands glowed green and came to rest on his punctured chest. Before any could protest her actions, Tousen arched up and began to cough as his body fought for air. Unohana merely placed one of her hands on his forehead and forced him into a healing sleep.

Her healing kidou removed the foreign reiatsu that was clogging his wounds, and it was then that she realized just what Ichigo had done.

His sword had pierced through Tousen's chest, severing his **Saketsu** (Binding Chain) and his **Hakusui** (Soul Sleep), stripping him of all his Shinigami powers, and forcing him into unconsciousness from the shock of it all. The remnants of Tousen's rapidly fading reiatsu had then been masked by the residue of Ichigo's own overpowering reiatsu in the wound, leading all present to believe that Tousen had died.

At a gesture from her, some of the arriving members of her division took his body into custody, where he would be healed under the watchful eyes of some guards. She spared a moment to glance once more at the now sleeping form of Ichigo, before she turned to tend to Renji's wounds.

* * *

The being, once known as Kurosaki Ichigo, surveyed the destruction of the inner world he currently resided in.

Once magnificent skyscrapers lay in ruins as far as the eye could see.

He turned his considering gaze to his hand to find it wrapped in dark grey bandages, as were his chest and the lower parts of his face. From the corner of his eye he noticed that his hair was black and at least waist length. He simply took in a deep a breath, and on exhale, fully accepted the merge that had just occurred.

He then turned his attention back to the destroyed world around him and set about fixing and upgrading it. He spared a moment to feel grateful that this time around, his present manifestation still wielded the same zanpakuto that he had used in his first life, all those eons ago.

Rukia sat in the seat next to Inoue, both of their gazes focused on the teen who had been bed-ridden for the better part of four days. She was glad that this time around, wounds weren't randomly appearing on his body.

The first time it had happened, Inoue's screams had brought a handful of captains rushing into the room. They had all stood in shock as they watched bruises suddenly appear on Ichigo's skin, and even in some cases, blood from his lips and nose. Unohana's examination had revealed nothing concrete, save for the speculation that something was happening in his inner world.

They could do nothing but watch and heal him whenever the injuries appeared. Unohana's theory had been further strengthened when Ichigo's enormous cleaver-like sword had shone with blinding light, and then shrunk to the form of an O-katana. The sword now possessed a black handle with dark red tassels on it, a reflection of his bankai form no doubt.

The healers had reported that things had been peaceful for the past few hours, so they were all hopeful that he would wake up soon.

The past few days had been crazy; it wasn't every day that three Captains of the Gotei 13 revealed their treachery, and then defected. The Captain Commander had been furious that they had all been taken so completely by surprise. He had initiated a state of emergency after the slaughter of the Council of Forty-Six, thus granting him uncontestable command of all of Soul Society until the traitors were dealt with and the situation resolved.

Rukia's thoughts were promptly scattered to the four winds when she heard the shuffle of clothing from the bed. She held her breath, noticing that Inoue was in a similar state, as she looked at Ichigo's face, hoping that he was about to wake up.

Ichigo's eyelids fluttered open, and his gaze immediately zeroed in on those by his bedside. The room was silent as Rukia and Inoue took in Ichigo's aware form. Then the tableau was shattered by somewhat choked words from Inoue,

"Kurosaki-kun...you're...you're awake...I'm so glad."

Rukia smiled fondly as she noticed the happy tears in Inoue's eyes, before she stood to let the captain of the Fourth division know that her patient was awake.

* * *

Ishida shot subtle glances at Ichigo as the group travelled via Urahara's flying carpet back to their respective homes in Karakura town. He couldn't get over the fact that something fundamental had changed in his frie – _rival –_ after the events on the Execution Hill. When they asked him what had happened while he was in a coma, he merely gave them a small and unreadable smile and said,

"Spring cleaning"

No matter how they had pushed, he had not budged, merely replying with such vague responses and generally leaving them dissatisfied.

He had to fight the blush that threatened to rise on his face when he remembered Ichigo casually mentioning that Inoue's healing ability could probably restore his Quincy powers. He had been too distracted by the sudden surge of hope to question how Ichigo had known about his condition. Later, he wrote it off as something he must have heard from some of the others.


	3. Shinji 20

**AN : What can I say about this one? Though Evangelion is not really a fandom I am all that into, I still found myself sometimes reading some of the fanfics there...and subsequently cringing away from the spineless Shinji populating them...Thus, Shinji 2.0 was born.**

* * *

Ikari Shinji casually leaned against the wall next to the payphone as he waited for his ride to arrive. Shinji was a tall fourteen year old boy, who had an impressive physique. He wasn't ridiculously muscled; he had the cut physique of an athlete and his eyes radiated a calm and self-assurance that was rarely found in teenagers his age. He was also peripherally aware of the destruction being wrought by the Third Angel, Sachiel, but he paid it no heed.

Suddenly sensing a presence not too far from him, he raised his eyes to lock with the red eyed gaze of a blue haired girl standing in the middle of the street. He met her deadened stare with an impassive look of his own, ignoring the rumbling which occurred as sections of the buildings near him were knocked off by the Angel's rampage.

Without saying a word, he turned away from the girl, not even reacting when he felt her presence vanish.

It was then that his eyes noticed the cloud of dust rapidly approaching his position, and with a near silent sigh, he bent to pick up his bag. With only one thought to himself, he stepped forward to begin his adventure.

_Here we go_.

Captain Katsuragi Misato slid her car to a stop, feet away from the tall teenager approaching her. Taking a moment to observe his figure, she allowed herself to think that he was quite the looker, before she dispelled all such thoughts and focused on the matter on hand.

By the time she had gathered her thoughts, he was already sliding into the passenger seat. He turned to her and she suddenly felt like a bug under a microscope. A smooth and even tone emerged from his lips as he asked,

"Miss Katsuragi, I assume?"

Shaking off the sensation of being x-rayed, she responded with a slightly flirtatious smile,

"Yes, and you must be Ikari Shinji. Sorry, I'm late."

He merely inclined his head towards her in acceptance of her apology, then turned to face forward, completely unruffled by the destruction occurring around him.

Now slightly perturbed by the too calm teen next to her, Misato gunned the engine and sped off, just in time to dodge a huge chunk of concrete that crashed into the place they had just occupied moments before. She sped off, fishtailing as she swerved to avoid the debris in her path.

When they finally got out of the main city and onto the road towards NERV headquarters, she stopped and was in process of taking out binoculars to view the on-going battle when Shinji's cool tone, _with a hint of admonishment in it_, cut through the space in the car, halting her movements,

"As I understand, Miss Katsuragi, we are already late to begin with."

Seeing the beginnings of a sheepish smile on her face, Shinji continued,

"Furthermore, do you think it advisable to stop out in the open like this, especially when there is a huge battle involving long range weapons not too far from here?"

Looking like a deer caught in headlights, Misato aimed what she hoped was an innocent smile at the teen looking at her. All she got for her troubles was an unimpressed raised eyebrow. With a huff, she turned back to the wheel, and pulled out of her stop, continuing on to their destination.

They had only travelled a few miles further when the world suddenly vanished under a blinding flash of white light.

Misato abruptly slammed on the brakes, grinding the car to a halt. Once her vision cleared and her ears had stopped ringing, she looked out her window. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened when the devastation surrounding the silhouetted figure of the Third Angel made it clear to her what had just happened.

In her state of shock, she could only stutter out,

"They…I can't…I can't believe they used an N2 mine."

She turned her bewildered gaze on her charge, only to blink in shock when she found him still calm and unbothered. She spent a few moments just gaping at him, until she noticed the laughter shining in his eyes. She then pouted when she heard him chuckling, at her no doubt.

She merely huffed as she put the car back in gear and continued towards the NERV base. She reached forward into the glove compartment and pulled out a thick file, which he handed off to Shinji with a petulant,

"Here, an information packet, read it."

With another amused chuckle, Shinji opened up the file and began to read.

Sometime later, Misato began casting furtive glances at the teenager's downed head, wondering about him. Unable to sit quietly for so long, she asked,

"So, do you know why you're here?"

Shinji raised his eyes from the file and closed it. Misato wondered for an instant if he had finished reading it, before dismissing the thought as ridiculous; as a teenager, he must have obviously considered it boring. She quickly tuned back in to listen to his response,

"Not really, no…apparently, I was summoned."

Misato was not really surprised by his answer; it was Gendo Ikari's way after all. Instead of providing any explanation, though she noticed that Shinji wasn't really asking for one, she motioned with her head towards the structure that they were approaching.

Shinji looked at where she was indicating and saw the NERV Headquarters. Misato, who had been watching his face for any reaction, blinked at the small unreadable smile that appeared on the teen's face. Somehow, she couldn't help but think that things were about to get interesting.

* * *

Misato fought to keep from fidgeting when she felt Shinji's unwavering gaze on the back of her head. She had been leading him around the facility for minutes now, trying to hide the fact that she was hopelessly lost.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she noticed that the only footsteps she could still hear were hers. She spun around to find Shinji studying the wall in front of him.

Making her way over to him, she opened her mouth, intending to admonish him to keep close to her, when his voice cut her off,

"This way"

Without waiting for any response from her, he turned back the way they had just come and began to walk. She floundered for a moment before hurrying after him, noticing from the corner of her eyes that the wall he had been studying had a map of the base on it.

A few short minutes later, the two of them were standing before an elevator which opened to reveal a blond haired woman, wearing a skin tight bodysuit under a white lab coat.

She spoke up in a tone that held mocking surprise,

"Well, Captain Katsuragi, I must say that I am surprised to see you so soon. I expected you to have been wondering for a half hour more, at least."

Misato could only rub the back of her head with an embarrassed flush on her face. She pouted at her friend's teasing and said,

"That's not fair Ritsuko, I was retrieving this cutie here."

Doctor Akagi Ritsuko followed her friend's outstretched hand to find a tall teen simply standing next to her. Startled at not noticing him before, she took a few moments to observe the figure standing before her eyes.

He was taller than the reports had indicated – for she had no doubt that this was Ikari Gendo's son – and the look in his eyes spoke of an intelligence and confidence that wasn't meant to exist.

Determined to observe the boy, in case his behaviour posed a threat to their plans, she extended a hand to him in greeting. He casually and firmly shook it, with a polite smile on his handsome face.

The three rode up in the elevator, with Ritsuko taking the time to tease Misato along the way while Misato responded in kind.

Arriving at their destination, Ritsuko led the other two into a darkened room which, although it was impossible to see into, still managed to give off the impression of being cavernous. She led them down a metal bridge and halted. Together, they turned to face the same direction…and then the lights came on.

Like a king surveying his domain, the purple and green Evangelion Unit-01 gazed down imperiously from its great height.

Ritsuko, who had been closely observing Shinji, was disappointed, and maybe a little bothered, by Shinji's lack of reaction.

As soon as the huge machine had been revealed, he merely blinked placidly at it.

Not to be deterred, she gestured grandly at Unit-01 and said,

"Behold humanity's last hope. This is the Evangelion Unit-01, designed to combat the Angels."

Up in his hidden observatory, Ikari Gendo gazed down on the form of his son. He was momentarily surprised by his impressive – for a teenager – stature, before he dismissed the observation as irrelevant.

Stepping forward, he prepared to play his own part and his cold voice echoed through the room,

"And that is why you are here."

At his chilly tone, Misato fought to hide the shiver that trailed down her spine before both she and Ritsuko turned their eyes upwards to see the silhouette of the Commander. From the corner of their eyes, they noticed that Shinji was still looking at the Eva unit, paying no attention to his father.

Ignoring Shinji's lack of attention, Gendo ended his statement with a chilling finality that left no room for disobedience,

"You will pilot the Evangelion Unit-01."

Only then did Shinji turn to face the man whose genes he shared, to whom he spoke with a nonchalant shrug,

"Of course, provided that you are able to satisfy my conditions"

Misato rocked back on her heels in surprise, while Ritsuko blinked in shock. The various NERV officials present in the huge room paused in what they were doing, gazing at the bold child in awe.

Gendo did not even react to Shinji's statement; he had expected some rebellion from the teen. He smoothly moved to crush his feeble resistance,

"I see. Doctor Akagi, prepare Unit-01 for deployment. If he will not pilot it, then Rei will simply have to do so."

Ritsuko's eyes widened in shock and she began to splutter her protests, which were then summarily squashed by Gendo's unwaveringly cold stare.

She motioned to the person standing at a door, and he left to retrieve the other pilot.

Gendo focused on his son as the hospital bed carrying Rei's battered and bruised form was wheeled into the room. He began to feel the faint stirrings of unease when he noticed Shinji's disinterested gaze casually roving over Rei's injured form. His unease grew into full discomfort when he realised that he couldn't read any emotion on Shinji's face.

For a man who had years of experience in reading and manipulating emotions, the unreadable teenager before him bothered him a lot. He had relied on common empathy to squash whatever feelings of rebellion Shinji would have been able scrounge up. This unruffled dismissiveness convinced him that Shinji had inherited more from him than he had originally thought.

Ritsuko, somewhat used to Gendo's methods by now, had calmed down when she noticed Shinji looking at Rei. She fully expected him to condemn her harsh treatment, and then ultimately cave in to his father's demands.

Misato, still surprisingly naïve in some ways, thought that Shinji would do like any decent human would and agree to pilot in place of Rei; even though he had no prior knowledge on how to pilot such a machine as Unit-01.

Thus, the three adults were completely shocked by what happened next.

Shinji casually turned to face the door, and began to walk, obviously intending to leave the room.

Coincidentally, his path would take him just past Rei's approaching form.

Just as the two teens drew side by side, though one was being wheeled, a tremor shook the entire cavernous room, causing a huge beam to be dislodged.

A cry left Misato's lips as her quick eyes easily predicted the trajectory of the falling beam; Shinji and Rei would be killed.

Before anyone could react, there was a blur of purple and the clang of metal on metal.

The observers turned to watch the deflected beam sail out over the platform and crash into nothingness somewhere below.

Gendo had a hidden smirk on his face; _as expected of you, Yui_. His calculating gaze then zeroed in on Shinji to find him looking down at Rei on the bed. The silence that had fallen after the averted disaster allowed everyone to hear Shinji's spoken words to Rei,

"Good luck out there, Rei-san."

With Misato and Ritsuko fairly gaping at him, and Gendo subtly gritting his teeth, Shinji resumed his journey to the exit. Without turning around, he continued speaking,

"I expect that you will buy my return ticket, seeing as you're the one who tore me away from my life over there. Now, as I recall, there's a cafeteria somewhere on this level; I haven't eaten since I began the trip to arrive here."

The last part, spoken at a lower volume was obviously not intended for everyone to hear, yet it carried effortlessly in the wake of the speechless surprise left behind by the teen's actions.

Just as Shinji stepped up to the automatic doors, causing them to hiss open, Gendo's blank voice reached him,

"And…just…what…were your conditions?"

With his back to his father, Shinji finally let his triumphant grin spread across his face while back in the room, NERV employees whispered at the fact that Gendo had given in to his teen son.

_Shinji 1…Gendo 0_

* * *

The command room was a hub of activity as people rushed around to get the Eva Unit 01 up and running.

From her place beside her friend in the center of the room, Ritsuko directed the scientists around her with only half of her mind on the task; the rest of it was on the mysterious child currently sitting in the Eva's cockpit.

Barking at one of the scientists in the room, Ritsuko commanded,

"Release the LCL."

Observing Shinji through one of the screens available, she noticed him tensing as the orange liquid began to flow into the cockpit.

Just as she moved to reassure him, he relaxed and began to breathe in the LCL, showing none of the discomfort always found in first timers.

Filing away that puzzling fact for later, Ritsuko ordered,

"Begin synchronization"

Moving forward, she grabbed one of the microphones available and spoke to Shinji,

"Now, Shinji, try to relax while we begin your synchronization with the Eva Unit."

Shinji merely nodded his head as the process began.

Since she was focused on the teen in question, Ritsuko relied on the periodic reports of the scientist monitoring the sync rate to tell her how Shinji was doing.

Her attention was diverted from the monitor when she heard a faint stirring of surprise from those around her.

Snapping her gaze to the screen showing the sync rate, she felt her jaw drop in surprise.

Heedless of the spectators' surprise, the number implacably blinked back at them,

_Seventy five percent_

Choking on air, Ritsuko and the others in the room, whirled to the screen displaying Shinji's serene face as the Eva Unit came to life around him.

Blinking in shock, she thought to herself,

_Such a sync rate, on his first try…impossible_

In his seat, hidden in shadow, Gendo Ikari's clasped hands tightened until he lost all feeling in his fingers; it was looking more and more like Shinji would be a threat to the scenario.

As the locks engaged, clamping down on the Eva in preparation for transport to the surface, Shinji's even tone sounded through the speakers in the command centre,

"Tell me, Dr Akagi, what are the capabilities of this Eva Unit and of the enemy I am about to face?"

Pausing at the unexpected question, Ritsuko's voice reflexively took on a slightly condescending tone as she replied,

"Now, Shinji, don't worry yourself about that; what you should instead focus on is mastering how to put one foot in fr –"

Shinji's suddenly cool voice ruthlessly cut her off,

"Dr Akagi…what are the capabilities of the Evangelion Unit 01 and the attacking Angel?"

Momentarily rendered speechless at the hard tone of voice – so reminiscent of another Ikari – issuing from the speakers, Ritsuko could do nothing as Misako abruptly moved to reply,

"Without going into too many specifics, the Eva Unit is designed to move as you would. It also has a knife in a compartment in its left shoulder as well as a sidearm. The Angel is just as strong, if not stronger than the Eva, and also fully sentient. Data is limited on it since it is only the third Angel humanity has ever faced, but destroying the red core should take care of it."

Quietly taking in all that she had said, Shinji replied just as the Evangelion came to a jarring stop on the surface of the city,

"Fully sentient…so it is in my best interest to finish this quickly."

In the now silent command centre, the spectators watched as slowly, the right arm of the Eva came up in a smooth motion and clenched its fist, before the left leg moved forward as well.

Realizing that Shinji was simply testing out the controls, they were somewhat surprised at the ease with which he piloted for the first time.

Giving a satisfied nod in the Entry Plug, Shinji focused on the Angel which had been simply observing him since he had come up.

Silently staring back at it, he observed it as his quick mind came up with plans and back up plans for quickly and efficiently dealing with it.

Mind made up, he exploded into motion just as the Angel opened its mouth to utter a ground shaking roar.

Like a blur, the purple Eva Unit crossed the gap separating it from its enemy with strides that caused the earth to tremble before the titan.

As it neared its foe, the Angel's left arm came up to intercept it, and it was then that it acted.

Jaws dropped in shock as the Eva grabbed the extended arm and vaulted over the Angel, viciously wrenching the arm backwards and dislocating it at the shoulder, as it came to rest now facing the Angel's back.

Landing in a crouch, the Eva unit suddenly reversed its momentum and it launched itself towards the back of the off-balanced and pained angel.

In the command centre, the monitors registered a spike in the Eva's AT-Field centered on its right arm, though none was there to notice as they were all riveted on the scene unfolding on the monitors.

Before the Angel could recover, the Eva's right arm extended in a knife thrust which – backed by the explosive force of the Eva's reversed momentum – shred through the Angel's core as though it were cutting through water.

Shocked silence descended like a curtain inside the command centre as the Angel's core exploded outwards when the Eva's arm breached through it, leaving the Eva standing front to back with the Angel, with its arm sticking through its chest.

With nary a sound, the Angel slid off the arm impaling it and crashed into the floor.

The battle was over.


	4. Enjin

**I have no idea where this story came from...Honestly, I just searched my computer for Naruto and voila, a misnamed file somewhere in my music folder. I think I wrote this a few years ago or something ridiculous. Anyway, as far as I can tell, this is royalty Naruto, and from the notes I apparently left myself, it was meant to be Yaoi (though not with Sasuke). Nonetheless, if I ever do get to it, I will be sure to get your input on preferred pairings, if there will be any. PS: Sora was NOT a result of Mpreg**

* * *

Standing calmly before the gathered council, Naruto steadily met the eyes of those sitting before him – some sympathetically kind, others vindictively joyful.

Finally locking gazes with the saddened eyes of the blonde haired hokage, he awaited her pronouncement.

Tsunade felt the cracks in her composure as she took in the teen standing before her. She was keenly aware of Jiraiya's presence by her side, lending her the strength she needed to see this through.

Finally gathering herself, she moved to speak,

"Uzumaki Naruto, owing to the debilitating injury you sustained in the line of duty, this council has seen fit to honorably discharge you from the Shinobi forces of Konohagakure. From this moment onwards, you are a civilian."

Some of the gathered council members didn't bother hiding the smiles on their faces as they took in the boy's features, even as they were disappointed by the lack of reaction on his face.

Just as Tsunade prepared to end the meeting, the head of the merchant's guild decided to speak up, smarmy smile on his face and malicious gleam in his eye,

"Now...Uzumaki, as unfortunate as these events have been, it still remains that without your job as a Shinobi, you will have to find some work elsewhere."

At those words, those gathered shifted in their seats, some in eager anticipation while others, in tired resignation.

Naruto, for his part, merely raised his eyes from where they had been on the floor, and focused on the person speaking, noticing but choosing to ignore the gleam of triumph in Danzo's eyes.

The speaker continued,

"Now then, some of my colleagues and I are more than willing to discuss – "

Naruto's even voice cut him off, much to his visible irritation,

"Takahiro-san, I thank you for your kind words, but I must decline. I am a civilian; there is nothing that says that I must live the rest of my life in this...place."

Blinking in startled surprise at his words, the gathered council members could only watch as Naruto gave a respectful bow to the Hokage and turned to leave the meeting room, walking with a fluid gait that reminded some there of a beast of prey.

Somehow, the empty sleeve where his left arm should have been did not detract from his bearing.

* * *

Tsunade sighed to herself as she gazed out onto the village from her window. For the past decade, the village had been a much quieter place, ever since her pseudo-brother-son had vanished without a trace.

Feeling the air shift beside her, she glanced to her right in time to see the swirl of red that heralded the arrival of her team-mate and fellow Sannin.

Turning back to the window, she said,

"Dare I ask, Jiraiya?"

Hearing his own sigh, she closed her eyes as her hope was once again crushed.

Another false lead

She knew that her teammate was just as baffled as she was about Naruto's heretofore unforeseen ability to vanish without a trace.

Even Konoha's best spymaster had been unable to so much as catch a glimpse of him since then.

Seconds after Naruto had walked out of the council room, the others had exploded in a hail of protests, most not wanting the boy out of their sphere of control.

She had not noticed at the time, but Danzo had been surprising mellow while his colleagues ranted and raved about the dangers of letting Konoha's jinchuuriki do as he pleased.

It was only after a scouting team had found the cooling corpses of four ninjas who wore blank masks and had the same tattoos on their tongues that she had realized why Danzo had not been bothered.

If anything, the old fool had probably been elated at the happenings.

Still, she worried.

Nobody could have predicted what Naruto had chosen to do. They had all believed that a combination of his ties to the village – or more aptly, some people in the village – and a fear of the unknown, would keep him rooted in Konoha.

Obviously, they had been wrong.

It was only years later when she had realized that of all the so called bonds Naruto was said to have had with some members of the village, only a handful had been genuine two-sided relationships: Iruka, Teuchi, Ayame, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune.

It was a sad, and somewhat shameful, realization that none of his own classmates had formed meaningful bonds with the missing ex-Shinobi. It was further worsened by the fact that the failing was through no fault of Naruto's own.

Now, as she looked upon the village that had practically driven out one of her most precious people, her sharp gaze picked up on the Uchiha clan symbol sewn unto the back of a dark blue shirt.

Suddenly hearing a crack, she cast a mild glance down at the window sill to see the crack she had inadvertently put there with her monstrous strength.

Recalling how Naruto had dragged back the Uchiha, bruised and broken, she felt the decade old anger threatening to rise up in her heart.

Naruto had won that battle – much to the disbelief of most of the populace – but it had cost him his arm when the Uchiha's chidori attack had been deflected into and through Naruto's left shoulder.

Her thoughts were dragged back to the present by a shoulder bump from the white haired Toad Sage.

Blinking up at him, her eyes cleared of past memories and locked with his knowing orbs.

Letting loose a huff of amusement at him, she turned to face her office, preparing to get back to work.

However, a hand on her shoulder stopped her, and after considering the single word spoken, she nodded and preceded Jiraiya out of the room,

"Lunch?"

* * *

Kakashi effortlessly dodged the people walking on the street he was on, while ignoring the glares aimed his way for his choice of reading material.

Though his eyes were focused on his book, they were having difficulty reading it, as they had been having for the past few years.

Feeling the approach of a few familiar chakra signatures, he raised his head to glimpse pink hair, sliding past it to find a head of black hair.

Observing the approaching duo, his gaze slid over the two people who now constituted his team: Sasuke and Sakura.

Putting aside his book, since he was obviously not about to read it, he gave a lazy wave to the two, and subsequently tuned out Sakura's scolding for having had his book out in public.

Easily falling into step on either side of him, they proceeded to make their way towards the Hokage tower for their next mission, while the sound of Sakura's voice continued to fill the air around them...just like another's used to do before.

The two men slowed to a stop once it registered that their pink haired teammate was no longer with them.

Turning as one, they saw her stationary form gazing somewhere to the side.

Following her gaze, their eyes rested on Ichiraku's Ramen Stand.

Biting back a sigh, while beside him, Sasuke's jaw clenched from some unidentifiable emotion, Kakashi called out softly,

"Sakura"

Blinking as she came back to herself, Sakura aimed a slightly trembling smile at her team leader and moved to return to the group, when she picked up green and red from the corner of her eyes.

Turning to look, she saw the Hokage making her way towards them, with Jiraiya at her side.

Wondering at that, she moved to greet her teacher, just as a blur of gold and blue knocked into Jiraiya from behind.

The blur resolved itself into a golden haired child wearing a blue shirt and black shorts, who somehow managed to keep his feet after stumbling from the collision with the mountain of a man.

Blinking devastatingly blue eyes up at the person he had just run into, the boy let loose a blinding grin and with a quick apology, dashed off once more, vanishing through the curtains of the ramen stand nearby.

Behind him, the two groups were frozen in shock as the image of gold and blue kept on repeating in their minds' eyes.

Not surprisingly, Tsunade was the first one to recover her wits, and in the blink of an eye, she was striding into Ichiraku's Ramen stand.

Surprisingly, the person hot on her tail was Sasuke.

The five ninjas piled into the stand to meet the stunned and gaping visage of old man Teuchi, who was looking at the blond haired child currently struggling to get onto one of the high stools at the stand, with a cutely determined look on his cherubic face.

Luckily, Teuchi managed to regain his thoroughly shaken composure just as the boy managed to get into his seat and face the aging chef.

With another wide grin on his face, the child chirped out in a voice so familiar, it left the old man weak kneed,

"Hey old man, can I get your best bowl of – "

Suddenly pausing in his speech, the child spun in his seat to face the entrance with a happy grin on his face.

The ninjas still standing there looked behind them, wondering why the kid had just turned, and subsequently had to fight to keep from reacting violently as their eyes landed on the newcomer none of them had sensed.

Still in some form of shock, they moved aside as the man, wearing a straw hat that somehow concealed his features along with a white cloak that covered his body save for the lower parts of his legs, made his way into the stand.

Making his way over to the boy bouncing in his seat, he released a low chuckle as his right hand came up to grasp the edge of his hat.

Pulling it off and placing it on the energetic boy's head, he said,

"What have I told you about running off like that, Sora?"

Pouting cutely up at the newly revealed older man, the kid used one hand to keep the too big hat in place as he responded,

"But I'm hungry"

Laughing at the reply, the man finally turned to old man Teuchi and said,

"It's been a while, Teuchi-ji-san."

With hopeful eyes, Teuchi drank in the features of the newcomer, not daring to believe though the proof was right before him, until he saw the whisker like marks on the man's face.

With a relieved and bright smile, he shakily replied,

"Naruto..."

In the silence which had begun with the harried entrance of the Hokage and her retinue, those present in the stand easily heard the exchange between the two men.

Like a spell being broken, Tsunade snapped out of her state of shock and took one hesitant step forward, while behind her, the others greedily drank in Naruto's revealed features.

However, before she could speak, the previously forgotten boy beside him reached up and tugged on his fingers, saying,

"Come on...I'm hungry, Daddy."

Hearing a gasp of surprise behind him, Sora turned his blue eyes on the ninjas gathered at the door, and in particular on the blond haired woman looking at his daddy with wide eyes.

Glimpsing a blue diamond mark on her forehead, his quick mind easily deduced her identity.

Turning back to his father, he once more tugged to gain his attention, and when he had it, he pointed and said,

"Look, Daddy, it's Aunty Tsunade."

Tsunade felt the breath still in her lungs as Naruto finally turned to fully face her.

Without prompting, her eyes danced across his form, taking in the changes that time had wrought on him.

Once she focused on his face, she had to keep from gasping again at the similarities the boy had to his father, Namikaze Minato.

As his blue eyes focused on her, Tsunade felt something in her heart finally loosen as a small smile spread across Naruto's face.

Walking forwards, Naruto wasted no time in embracing the blonde hokage, who hesitated for an instant, before gripping him just as hard in return.

As the tension and stress from a decade of worries bled out of her, Tsunade felt the tears of relief in her eyes, and even allowed a few of them to fall.

Finally pulling back, her eyes abruptly narrowed before she suddenly launched a powerful blow at the blond man's face with a snarl of annoyance that was quickly cut off,

"You think you can just –"

A wave of air pressure exploded out from the two blonds as Tsunade's fist met Naruto's palm and halted there.

Blinking disbelievingly at him, she focused on his face to find the small smile still there, just before he said,

"And I missed you too, Tsunade-nee."

Feeling her heart soften at the honest emotion shining in his eyes, she grumbled as she withdrew her hand from his, all the while fighting off the smile threatening to break out across her face.

Just then, a young voice chirped out, once more distracting everyone present,

"Daddy...she's scary."

That statement, spoken with a child's bluntness, startled a laugh out of those gathered, effortlessly breaking the tension in the room.

Moving back to his son's side, Naruto took a seat and waved the others into the ones available next to the duo.

As Tsunade sat next to Naruto, she found her eyes taking in the way he easily interacted with his son – the gentleness and caring and love that all his actions overflowed with.

Seeing him so happy soothed the last of the pains his absence had left in her soul.

Sakura couldn't take her eyes off the man seating in their midst, and beside her, she felt Sasuke subtly eying him as well.

This couldn't be Naruto.

This man was all elegant grace and fluid movement; he was impeccable manners and softly spoken words; he was tender father and responsible adult.

There was no way that her former teammate could have grown into this, and yet, the proof lay before her eyes.

Her quick mind had already cataloged the startling resemblance between his face and one of the ones on the Monument, and the presence of whisker marks and his unique coloration had had all doubt fleeing from her mind.

No matter how hard it was to accept, this was Naruto...he had come back...he had finally come home.

The gathered adults watched fondly as Sora chased the last few noodles in his bowl with the determination of a natural born hunter, pouting and threatening to send the females into fits of cooing whenever the noodles evaded him.

The easy and relaxed atmosphere was shattered though, when Jiraiya made a casual statement,

"I see you managed to regrow your arm."

As the ninjas around him suddenly tensed as Jiraiya pointed out what they had been too distracted to notice, Naruto calmly met Jiraiya's steely gaze and allowed the amusement he was feeling to shine through.

In a similarly casual way, he replied, while smoothening the front of his shirt and coincidentally brushing over his stomach,

"Indeed, someone was apparently not going to put up with a damaged...warden."

Not losing the look in his eyes, Jiraiya inquired further,

"And it took ten years for this someone to regrow it?"

Giving an unbothered shrug that perfectly mimicked the one-eyed ninja in their midst, Naruto finally said,

"Perhaps it was something in the air, in this village, that kept me from healing."

Closing his eyes as he deciphered the meaning behind that statement, Jiraiya finally lost the tension in his shoulders and aimed a slightly apologetic smile at his godson, conveying in it all the apologies he could never – and should never have needed to – make.

As the tension drained away, the ninjas once more found themselves relaxing, only to tense up again as Sasuke's even voice sounded nearby,

"What I am curious about...is how you managed to catch Hokage-sama's punch."

Raising an eyebrow at the focused look in his former teammate's eyes, Naruto's gaze held none of the negative emotions one would expect when facing a former enemy.

Instead, he merely responded,

"My...job...does not allow for weakness."

Furrowing his eyebrows at the response, Sasuke inquired further,

"Your job?"

Humming in contemplation, Naruto cast an assessing gaze on Sasuke, before replying,

"I am a...guardian...of sorts to the son of an important man."

Blinking at the thought of Naruto as a mere bodyguard, they all tried to take that image in before the Konoha ninjas present suddenly tensed.

* * *

Holding in the smile wanting to erupt on his face, Naruto easily held his son as he once again stood before the gathered council in a reflection of what had happened ten years previous.

Before they had had time to catchup properly, a ninja had appeared, telling them that there was an emergency council meeting being called, and that they were all required to attend.

Watching Jiraiya and Tsunade exchange looks, Naruto had easily deduced what was about to happen.

Still, he was not worried.

He had come to Konoha prepared.

Now, he watched as the council members became more and more uncomfortable as the seconds went past.

They were all awaiting the arrival of the Fire Country Daimyo, who had apparently decided to visit that day.

Suddenly, the doors sprung open, and before anyone could react, Sora was on the floor and barreling across the room in a flash, squealing happily,

"Ji-san, JI-san, Ji-san"

With a fond laugh, the old Daimyo swung the boy up into his arms and said,

"Now, how's my favorite grandson doing?"

Those gathered in the council room gaped as the blond haired boy babbled away at the most powerful man in the country, while said man appeared to be actually listening.

Naruto just hid his grin and moved to greet the Lord of the Land, while bowing respectfully and saying,

"It is good to see you again, Sawada-sama."

Letting out a fondly exasperated sigh, the Daimyo replied,

"And how many times must I tell you, Naruto-kun, call me Uncle."

Smiling at the man who had taken him in when he had had no where to go, he collected his exuberant son and moved to escort the ruler to his seat, all the while ignoring the wide eyes – and in some cases, pale faces – of the council members.

As the Daimyo took his seat, accepting the greetings of those around him, he turned to Tsunade and said,

"So, Tsunade-chan, what is the purpose of this impromptu meeting?"

Turning her gaze on the council members who were looking shifty eyed, she raised an eyebrow in silent question.

A spokesperson stood up and replied,

"Daimyo-sama, we called the meeting to discuss the return of Konoha's jinchuuriki."

As most of those gathered shifted in discomfort at the addressing of the elephant in the room, the Daimyo let loose a soft exclamation of realization and leaned forward to speak,

"There has obviously been a misunderstanding here. You see, Naruto-kun has not been _returned_ to you. I daresay, my son would not thank me for letting you keep him. "

Confused at the meaning behind the old man's words, the spokesperson moved to seek clarification, while around him the faces of Sasuke, Kakashi, Sakura, Tsunade, and JIraiya, had looks of dawning realization,

"Forgive me, Daimyo-sama, but I do not understand what your son has to do with the person in question."

Leaning back in his chair and looking at the spokesperson for a moment, the Daimyo finally said,

"Though he is officially my personal bodyguard, Naruto-kun spends more time _guarding_ my son these days."

As eyes turned to land on the slightly sheepish looking blond before them, the Daimyo allowed a knowing look to enter his eyes as Naruto locked gazes with him, causing a barely noticeable blush to suffuse Naruto's cheeks for a second.

The Daimyo's subtle teasing was interrupted by Danzo, who said,

"I was not aware, Daimyo-sama, that you had rebuilt the Twelve Guardian NInja."

Turning to the bandaged elder, the Daimyo wore a look of honest confusion as he replied,

"Why would I need twelve ninja when I have Naruto-kun?"

Looks of disbelief alighted on the faces of many present as the meaning of the man's words sank in, yet, before anyone could say anything to his statement, Shikaku spoke up,

"I see...then you must be the one they call Enjin."

As the meeting chamber erupted in shouts and questions caused by Shikaku's statement, Tsunade's mind flashed back to a bingo book entry from a few years ago

Name: Unknown; Enjin  
Rank: SS-class, Flee on Sight  
Skill: High skills in taijutsu, kenjutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu; Extremely skilled with Katon Jutsu.  
*Note: The guardian of both the Fire Daimyo and his son. Famous for single-handedly defeating all the samurai and ninjas employed by the Royal Family, without sustaining any injury or killing any opponent.  
Bounty: 120 million ryo dead or alive.


	5. The Titan

The Sandaime first noticed the changes a few months after the child's seventh birthday; a day that had been commemorated by a hastily deflected attempt on Naruto's life by some drunken louts.

Apparently, the boy's minders had begun to lose track of him for hours at a time, for a few days in a row. When the number of days where the boy was more absent than not had reached ten, they had brought it to his attention.

So, the Sandaime settled for watching the blond haired child using his crystal ball, and yet, for the life of him, he suddenly couldn't find the time to check in on Naruto during the day. It was almost as though the universe had learned of his plans and conspired to distract him with convenient influxes of paperwork just as he was about to search for the boy.

More than a little worried, he finally decided that if the boy vanished for another day, he would call him in and sit him down to find out what was happening.

Coincidentally, the day he made his decision was the day that Naruto decided to stop pulling his disappearing act.

Eventually, after a few months where the boy was always in full view of his minders, the Hokage, and the Anbu watching Naruto, finally relaxed.

Then, about two months after the whole incident, and eight months after Naruto had turned seven, he began to get reports that troubled him greatly.

Naruto had taken to studying.

Now, normally this change would be something to be praised in a child, but for someone like Naruto who was almost literally physically pained by academia, it rang a few warning bells in the mind of the Sandaime.

At first, he had called in the team assigned to watch the boy and had prepared to start scolding them for pulling such a prank, when the team leader, Dog, had stepped forward and pre-emptively confirmed the reports.

With that particular Anbu's validation, the Hokage was at a loss about what to do.

Finally settling on just having them watch the small child more closely, he mentally filed the incident away with a promise to keep a better eye on the boy.

Since they had been forewarned by Naruto's sudden interest in books, none of them was particular alarmed when reports began to come in about his improvement in school work.

What did rouse his ire though, was the repeated accusations that the boy was cheating.

It had taken a single visit from the Anbu Dog to dissuade the Academy teachers of that line of thinking.

With that dealt with, they almost fully relaxed once more when Naruto did something, a few weeks after his eighth birthday, that had his hidden watchers quietly panicking.

He dumped the orange outfits...all of them.

The first day he stepped out in plain sight wearing a fitted dark red long sleeve shirt with black ninja pants and steel toed boots, the Anbu watching him at the time – Cat – had stilled where she was hidden from sight for an instant, before flashing to the Hokage's office to report the issue.

Not wanting to rush things by jumping to conclusions, the Hokage had instead set up the crystal ball to watch Naruto for the whole day, calmly informing his secretary that he was not to be disturbed for any reason short of a World War.

Then, with the Anbu members Dog, Cat, Bear, and Mouse gathered with him, he zoomed in with the ball just as Naruto entered his classroom.

* * *

Stepping through the door after taking in a deep fortifying breath, Naruto pretended not to notice the sudden silence that his entry had caused.

Walking to his seat with a steady gait that he had only recently begun to use, he quietly slid into his seat, all the while not reacting to the eyes that were still focused on him with confusion.

Finally, the silence was broken by a snort from a purple haired girl called Ami, who sneered contemptuously at Naruto and said for the whole class to hear,

"Tch, better clothes, which you probably stole, aren't going to make you even half the boy Sasuke-kun is, Naruto-baka."

Expectant eyes swung from Ami back to Naruto even as their owners snickered at the blond's expense; they were all waiting for the customary blowup from Naruto that would even make him seem more of a fool than Ami's statement had.

Since Naruto had been gazing outside the window, none of his classmates had been able to see his eyes as Ami spoke.

So, none of them had seen when his eyes had brightened in anger, before they suddenly cooled to arctic levels as his anger went from blazing fury to chilling rage.

With his vision focused on the boy's face, the Sandaime and his companions saw it though.

So, they were the only watchers not surprised when, instead of blowing up like he would have done months before, Naruto merely turned his head just enough for him to fix Ami with a look from the corner of his eye.

With his hands folded before his face, and his head tilted like that, the wintry look on his handsome features caused beads of perspiration to suddenly sprout out of Ami's palms.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Naruto simply turned away from her in an obvious dismissal that left her cheeks stained red with a combination of humiliation and anger.

Before she could continue to antagonize him though, their class teacher pushed the door open and paused as he came upon the rare sight of a quiet class.

Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, he moved forward to begin the special lesson; that day, they would be starting taijutsu practice.

* * *

Knowing that his actions from earlier had more firmly driven home the point to his classmates that he had changed, Naruto was not surprised to find people glancing at him and whispering as they all filed out onto the training field behind the Academy.

Sidling over to a tree, he leaned against it next to Shikamaru, who merely gave him a lazy look – that failed to hide the intelligent inquisitiveness of his eyes – before returning to his vertical nap.

Clapping to garner their attention, the teacher called out in a voice that easily traveled across the grounds,

"Well then, as you were all told last week, today we begin taijutsu practice. Now, before we start drilling you in katas, we are going to have casual spars to get a gauge of what level each of you is at; we don't want to hold anyone back to basic katas if they can go further with more focused tutoring."

While the students broke up into nervous titters, he began randomly pairing up people.

Nearing the end, he picked Naruto and Sasuke to spar.

Seeing the most talented student going up against the one who used to be the dead last of the class, everyone abruptly focused on the fight – even those not physically present.

Sasuke's cool black eyes scrutinized his opponent as he assumed the beginning stance for the Uchiha Interceptor Style of fighting.

Recalling what he knew about Naruto's character, he waited for him to make the first move, getting progressively more frustrated as Naruto just stood there staring at him.

Finally getting fed up, just as the others began to grumble about time being wasted, he shot forward at a speed that was impressive for an Academy student in second year.

His right hand came up in a powerful jab aimed to wind Naruto.

He hit air.

Eyes widening at the lack of resistance, he spied an incoming knee from the edge of his vision and managed to erect a hasty block with his left hand, deflecting some of the power of the blow to his abdomen, but still leaving him off balance for a moment.

Not to be taken lightly, he struck out in a rising punch as he was recovering, forcing Naruto to reverse his approach.

Bending backwards away from the punch, eyes widened as he kept on bending back until his hands met the floor and his legs sprung up in a backhanded standing kick, smashing into Sasuke's jaw and leaving him stumbling backwards in pain.

Once he was back on his feet, it was then that Naruto entered a stance that had the teacher's brows furrowing in confusion, and the Sandaime's rising in astonishment.

Too intrigued to call a halt to the match, the teacher watched on as Sasuke snarled in challenge before launching himself at Naruto even faster than he had before.

Through the flurry of kicks and punches aimed at him, Naruto seemed to serenely weave through them while all the time keeping himself close to Sasuke.

From the spectators' points of view, it looked as though the two were dancing together as Naruto shifted his feet and body to evade Sasuke's attacks by mere inches while his face never lost the calm and focused look on it.

In fact, one of Sasuke's punches came so close that he was practically ruffling Naruto's hair as the blond ducked and spun to his side.

Finally, Sasuke's frustration got the better of him and he over extended.

It was over in a flash.

Striking out like a snake, Naruto was inside his guard before he could even think of correcting his stance.

An iron grip seized his arm, and then his world became a dizzying swirl of gold, red, and blue, until the impact of his back with the ground cleared it up to leave him panting on the floor with Naruto standing over him.

Before he could fully process the fact that he had just lost without landing a hit on his opponent, the teacher called out Naruto's name to signify his win, and then moved to help Sasuke up.

Suddenly, most of the boys in class – who had always been annoyed with Sasuke's superiority – began to cheer loudly and call out congratulations to Naruto, not because he had won, but because he had beat Sasuke.

In his office, the Sandaime exchanged heavy looks with Dog, before he sighed in weariness.

* * *

Naruto pushed aside the curtain at the entrance to Ichiraku's Ramen Stand and moved to take a seat, while smiling brightly at Teuchi, who had only paused for a second at the sight of his new clothes.

Quickly placing an order, he turned his head when the curtain was moved to allow the entrance of a tall silver haired man whose head band was slanted to cover one of his eyes.

The newcomer meandered to a seat away from the counter and sat facing the room, with his back to a corner.

Seconds later, a purple haired woman with a pale guy who was obviously her boyfriend, entered the stand, and walked to a table close to the silver haired man.

They sat side by side and continued their conversation.

A few minutes later, just as his bowl was set on the table before him, the Hokage stepped into the Ramen Stand, waving aside the respectful greetings sent his way with a warm smile on his face.

Greeting Teuchi, who answered in turn, Sarutobi looked at Naruto and suddenly blinked in surprise as he watched the boy eat his food with impeccable manners.

Shaking off his surprise, he smiled and said,

"What's this Naruto-kun, don't I get a greeting as well?"

Turning to him, Naruto beamed and hopped from his stool to hug the old man with a chirped greeting much to the Hokage's visible delight.

Retaking his seat, he said,

"I didn't know that you would be coming here today, old man Hokage."

Smiling at he blond, after ordering his own meal, he simply said,

"Well, I realized that I hadn't seen you in a while, and then I thought to myself, where would Naruto be at this time?"

With his eyes twinkling at the now pouting child, the Hokage chuckled fondly at the boy.

After his food arrived, and the two had eaten peacefully for a few minutes, he turned to Naruto and said,

"So, I hear that you've started paying more attention to your studies."

Glancing at the old man for a moment, Naruto shrugged and replied,

"Well, it's easier now that I know what the different letters and words mean."

Suddenly, the stand descended into a silence that could only come from the deathly stillness of a predator about to pounce as the disguised Anbu and the Hokage understood the meaning behind the boy's words.

Reining in his ire and the Killing Intent that threatened to explode as the meaning of Naruto's words sunk in, the Sandaime spoke in a voice that was only calm on the surface,

"Hmmm...I didn't know that you were having problems with reading. Regardless, it is a good thing, as is the change in your clothes."

Watching the boy carefully, Sarutobi noticed as a reminiscing look entered his blue eyes, before he cast a soft smile at his shirt while rubbing it gently.

In his mind, Naruto was recalling a conversation he had had a few days before:

_"Why do you wear those clothes Naruto?"_

_Freezing in place for a moment, he raised his eyes to focus on the person seating before him, rapidly forming and discarding possible responses; he had long since learnt that his usual cheerful deflections would not work on his companion._

_A sigh from the older man had him curling into himself and dropping his head, before he stilled completely when warmth enveloped him as his companion wrapped strong but gentle arms around him._

_When his friend spoke, he did it softly but so firmly that there was no room for doubt,_

_"You don't need to wear them anymore, Naruto. I see you...I know you are here...I acknowledge you."_

_With his breath hitching in his throat, Naruto melted into the warm embrace with tears slowly flowing down his whiskered cheeks as the lovingly spoken words flowed into his soul and soothed and began to heal wounds caused by years of neglect and callous indifference._

So, as he recalled the event that had led to the change in his clothes, he looked the Sandaime in the eyes and smiled, knowing from the old man's startled look that the smile on his face was one of the rare ones – small and so very true.

He simply said,

"I don't need them anymore."

Momentarily confused at his response, the Sandaime pushed it aside to keep on subtly digging,

"I see. They are nice clothes. Did you buy them yourself?"

As the boy shook his head in denial, Sarutobi felt his muscles tenses once Naruto responded,

"Nope, Nii-san bought them for me."

Sensitive ears picking up a subtle shift from one of the corners in the room, the Sandaime kept from looking at the silver haired book reader.

Making sure his voice was as casual as could be, he asked,

"Oh? And what is this person's name?"

Bestowing on the aged Hokage, a look that questioned his intelligence, Naruto promptly declared,

"His name is Nii-san"

The response surprisingly startled a chuckle out of him before he pressed,

"Okay, but who is he?"

Getting a look of realization, Naruto replied and scared ten years off the Hokage's life,

"Oh. Well, he is my uncle" – and just in case the Hokage was really having a slow day, he added for clarification – "you know, my dad's brother."

Eyes widening in sudden alarm, the Hokage was about to ask for more clarification just as Naruto suddenly perked up and was out of his chair in a blur with a shout that had all four adult ninjas reaching for weapons,

"Nii-san!"

Focusing on the man who had just entered, Sarutobi felt his heart hiccup as his eyes met azure orbs set in the very face carved next to his on the Hokage monument.

He was too shocked to turn at the slight choking sound emanating from somewhere to the side – no doubt from the one eyed man seated there.

Watching as the newcomer gently set Naruto down from where he had caught him in mid air, he observed the man's gentle interactions and obviously loving words to the affection starved kid, and felt something in him relaxing, though he scolded himself for letting his guard down.

Moving forward, after composing himself, he was about to speak up when the man beat him to the punch, speaking in a tone that was smooth and regal,

"Ah...I didn't see you there, Sandaime-sama. I hope this kid hasn't been giving you too much trouble."

Instantly, Naruto launched into a fast paced protest about how he wasn't bothering anyone, leaving those around him almost dizzy from the rush of words spewing from his mouth, before the man suddenly chuckled and plopped a hand on his head, halting him.

Turning back to the clone of the Yondaime – he inquired, with a steely undertone in his voice,

"No, he has been a delight, as always. Though, I cannot say that I have met you before, young man."

If the blond mad heard the warning in his tone, he didn't show it.

With a graceful bow, he inclined his head and replied,

"Where are my manners? I am Kazama, Namikaze Kazama, a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

**What can I say about this one? First off, the inspiration for this story came from Ghost by cywscross, who is truly an awesome writer, words can't express**.

**So, here we have a Naruto (probably the Eternal Sage) in a world that already has a young Naruto in it. He will basically be a mentor and older brother figure...I chose the name because this is an Earth Using Naruto.**

**I have been asked this before, so let me just say this here. I am writing the next chapters of my other stories, but sometimes, I need to switch to something else, and so I write these little snippets. Regardless, rest assured that my entire focus is on Little Things and my Bleach Fic.**


	6. I am Chaos

Though he was young yet, his steps were light and nearly silent as he trailed after the woman in his mother's famed gardens. Keen eyes, already so discerning for one so young, tracked her every movement, scrutinizing her to find out what was so intriguing about her.

He had been following her for the past half hour, ever since he had seen her talking with his father in a hallway; she had left with an enchanting smile on her face, while his father had been unable to mask the flash of frustration in his eyes. Never before had he seen anyone, other than his mother, get the best of his father. It bore investigating and maybe, if he was clever enough, he might learn a thing or two from her.

They had arrived at the heart of the gardens, where a stone bench, artfully placed and integrated into the beauty of the area, awaited any visitors. She sat there, always maintaining her regal pose, making the bench seem as a throne, fit for the queen of all the realms.

He was about to crouch behind a conveniently placed bush, when he spun around, startled at the bellow behind him.

A quick look was all it took to confirm his suspicions, and his smile, when it came, was a quicksilver slash of mischief and slightly vengeful humour.

Smoothing out his features, he waited patiently for the person seeking him to arrive, all intentions of observing his prey forgotten in the face of the culmination of his plans.

"Brother, there you are! I have searched for you everywhere!"

He allowed a look of bemusement to rest on his face – hours spent practicing in front of the mirror ensured that it was painfully genuine – as he responded,

"Well, here I am. What is it that you sought me for?"

With a huff of frustration, his older brother answered his query, voice loud and boisterous as ever,

"Come now brother, I know that you know why I am here. _Someone_ saw it fit to dye my hair a most unmanly colour while I slumbered."

It was then that he finally allowed his eyes to trail up to the headgear on his brother's head, his furrowed brows a silent question for elaboration or proof.

His brother, ever the one to choose action over speech, reached up and ripped the headgear off his head.

He was sure that the very air stilled as his brother's pink-striped and braided hair was revealed.

He fought it, by the Norns how he fought it, but it was no use.

All too soon, his delighted laughter was ringing clear through the air, startling the birds and little creatures in the gardens around him. Through it all, his brother's face darkened with an embarrassed and angered flush as peals of laughter emerged from his mouth.

Finally regaining control of himself – and not a moment too soon if his brother's shaking was any indication, he turned his attention back to his brother and said,

"I can see why you might think I had something to do with this…work of art brother dear, given my penchant for similar acts. However, need I remind you that I am not the only one with the incentive nor means to accomplish such things? After all, it was not me whom you told 'fought like a woman in need of a man to protect her'."

As he watched the colour drain out of his brother's face, he mentally patted himself on the back for setting things up as seamlessly as he had. One might say that his efforts were a little too elaborate for petty revenge, but he was of the opinion that if one went out of their way to pay another back for some slight, then one had best do it spectacularly.

For his part, his brother, now pale with horrified realization turned a lost and pleading look upon him, no doubt expecting him to provide him with an out.

It was a struggle to keep his triumphant smile off his face, but he managed.

From her place seated on the stone bench, the lady known as Vana smiled to herself as she discreetly observed the little mischief maker.

She bit back the amused giggle that wanted to escape her beautiful lips.

Watching carefully as the dark haired child spun a web of truths that misled his fairer haired brother, she gained a contemplating gleam in her enchanting eyes.

Once she noticed that the golden haired child had departed, she spoke softly, her voice ringing in the silent gardens and startling the child crouching a ways away,

"Oh what tangled webs we weave, when first we practise to deceive."

At the last word, her eyes came to rest on the exact spot where the boy was hidden, and she merely raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow as he rose up from his hiding place, dusting off invisible dirt from his clothes with the air of one who was unbothered by the events unfolding around him.

Gracefully gliding towards her position, the green eyed child paused before her and sketched an elegant bow, bringing a delightful laugh to her lips as he said,

"My fairest lady, I know not what you mean."

Casting a thoughtful look at him, she tilted her head to the side as the threads of fate sang to her, offering her glimpses of things to be, things that were, things that are, and things that would have been.

Making her decision, she patted the space beside her, inviting the boy to sit as she spoke,

"Come, my little spider, let me speak to you of tangled webs and how to avoid getting caught in them."

* * *

Here he stood once again, before his father, mother, and the advisors of the court, awaiting judgement for some deed he was supposed to have done.

His gaze drifted to the only other person close to his age who sat beside his mother.

His brother could not meet his eyes.

Swallowing down a snort of anger, he turned his gaze back to his impassive father, all the time eloquent words protesting his innocence falling from his lips, even as his attention wandered.

Here he stood again.

It seemed like only yesterday he had stood in the same spot, denying his involvement in whatever scheme had been carried out to disturb the cooks in the royal kitchens.

At the time, as was often the case, he truly had been innocent of the act itself…yet he had still gotten punished.

_It is becoming a troubling routine,_ he mused to himself.

More often than not, his brother, and his band of four annoyances, would carry out some prank on some unsuspecting member of the court, often roping him into planning said endeavours since none of the others had his brilliance and cunning.

Yet, at the end of the day, when their deeds were unfailingly discovered, he usually found himself standing before his parents, waiting to be punished while his brother and his tagalongs averted their eyes from his.

Even as he swore to himself that this was the last time he would allow such a thing to happen, he knew that he was lying to himself; his youthful need to feel included by his brother would have him acquiescing to yet another hare brained scheme mere moments after dispensing with a few of his usual cutting words.

As his eyes drifted over the faces of those present, he took in their slight contempt as his words continued to fall into the open air; to them, there was no question of guilt.

Wrenching his gaze away from them, he focused once more on his father…and his heart skipped a beat.

_Impossible_, his mind cried out in denial.

Muttered words rose in the sudden silence as their owners shifted in surprise at the abrupt halt to his words.

He stood frozen in place with his face pale and his lungs still as his world was shattered and pieced back together again to form a wholly new image.

Only this time, the pieces fit as they never had before.

He was not stupid, quite the contrary actually, as he possessed an intellect that had baffled his tutors even as a child.

His intuition and perceptiveness had just revealed to him, clear as day, the truth of his existence.

He would always be second-best.

None was yet so brazen as to say it to his face, but he had always read in their closed off faces, in their distant manner, and in their fleeting glances, their judgement of him…their belief that he was lacking in some way.

He had not wanted to, but he had also seen in it in his own father.

When compared to his older brother, he always seemed to fall short.

Now, as lessons imparted to him by a visiting noble in a quiet part of his mother's garden years ago came to the fore, he analysed the fleeting look that had passed through his father's eye in the instant that he had glanced at him.

_He must know the truth_

It was a chilling thought and one that his brain shied away from, but for all that he deceived others, he had never lied, least of all to himself.

His father knew that he was innocent, and yet, he intended to punish him.

And as he gazed at the brother who would not _look_ at him, and the father who would not _see_, he felt his heart freezing in his chest as years of efforts to gain the approval of his father – and in some way, of his brother – went up in flames.

_Why…why…WHY_, his heart cried, until from the depths of his mind, a memory came forth.

_A garden, unrivalled in beauty, and seated in its center, a maiden so fair her beauty seemed to revitalize the very plants around her._

_As he had sat listening to her words of wisdom, she had asked him,_

"_Tell me, my little spider, what would you do if one had performed a wondrous deed in your name…for your…approval?"_

_Gazing into her eyes had felt like gazing upon the heart of star. More hesitant than he had been before, he had replied,_

"_I would give him the praise he desires, that he may be moved to do the same deeds over and over again for my approval."_

_For a moment, she had merely looked at him, before a smile had spread across her face; one that had threatened to bring tears to his own eyes on account of the sorrow contained in it._

_She had eventually turned her gaze onto a bird singing nearby before she had said,_

"_Perhaps you are right. Yet, why not withhold that praise, so that he might strive to do even better and better, hoping that then, he would get your praise?"_

_As she had looked at him with such sad eyes, he had felt something…a powerful life changing realization…lingering on the edge of his perception, just out of reach._

Now, that realization that had eluded him had just slammed home with the force of a dying star.

In his heart, black despair exploded into blinding fury as years of silent disapproval and hurt crystalized into anger.

He would show them, they who believed that he was naught but a trickster and mischief maker. He would become as they perceived him to be, so much so that they would wish for him to return to the way he had been.

Yet, just as he was about to completely succumb to the feelings of hatred and envy welling up in him, he glimpsed a pair of loving eyes – _always so loving_ – looking back at him, and his rage abruptly cooled.

He realized another truth that he had previously failed to appreciate...his mother had always loved him, of that there had never been any doubt.

While his father had doted on his first son, regaling him with tales of glorious battles, his mother had sat with him, speaking to him of less violent wonders of the universe, sometimes singing to him, other times reading with him and teaching him of the numerous lands outside their realm.

She had always loved him, and for years, he had taken it for granted, constantly seeking the approval of his father.

No more

Focusing on his father, who now had an unreadable look on his face, he straightened his back and held his head high, sturdy defiance in every line of his adolescent body.

His father's powerful voice echoed in the hall,

"You have fallen silent all of a sudden. Tell me, does this mean that you have accepted your guilt in this matter?"

Steadily looking back at his father while those gathered watched on in interest at the break from the norm, his green eyes blazed with the new realizations currently redefining his world.

When he spoke, the people present shifted in confusion and slight discomfort at his words,

"As you say so, Allfather, so must it be true."

As the murmurs of the spectators washed over him, he allowed a small smile to cross his face.

* * *

She fought the urge to purr as she felt the fearful eyes of many of those present following her graceful stride.

Her slightly insane gaze surveyed those lying defeated before her and when it landed on the bleeding one-eyed king, she could no longer hold it in.

Many flinched as she laughed in maddened glee at their subjugation.

She had done it, finally, vengeance was within reach.

Turning her gaze from Odin, to his son, she merely raised an eyebrow at the defiance burning in his gaze.

Making sure that he was paying full attention, she slowly stretched her hand outwards and _called_ with her stolen powers, relishing the defeat that bowed the golden prince's shoulders as Mjölnir came soaring into her hand.

Once more cackling in delight, she finally moved on, coming to a stop before the Queen of the Golden Realm, taking in her regal figure – beautiful even in defeat.

Speaking in a soft voice that belied her hostile intentions, she said,

"All the maidens of the Nine Realms envy you, dear Frigga, for having the unending devotion of he who is called Silvertongue."

At one of the monikers of the long absent second prince, many who had heard her shifted, though Frigga's expression did not change.

Knowing that she had already won, she felt no hesitation in twisting the knife currently embedded in the hearts of the people present.

Throwing her arms wide, she spun slowly, while speaking words that caused the faint feelings of discomfort to grow into suffocating guilt in the hearts of all but one,

"Weep, children of Asgard, for you have brought this reckoning upon yourselves. For eons, while you have delighted in your superiority over the other Realms you have left naught in your wake but bitter enemies at worst, fair weather friends at best. Yet, none had dared assail Asgard with might of arms for all knew of the physical prowess of her children. Neither had any dared attack with seidr, even as we saw that your reliance on might made you weak to its effects, for all who wield it know that Asgard is under the protection of the most powerful sorcerer in all the Nine Realms, Loki, the Dark Prince of Asgard."

The smile on her face only widened when people began to mutter in denial, refusing to believe that the person they had so ridiculed could have been protecting them for so long.

Speaking up, and cutting all voices short, she continued,

"While he dwelled here, no practitioner dared to so much as spit in the direction of Asgard. So, imagine our delight, when we had heard that Asgard had finally managed to drive him off – not for a short period of time as it had been in the past, but for decades. For the first time since his rise to fame among us, Asgard was without his protection."

She allowed her statement to sink in, delighting in the slowly dawning looks of horror, remorse, and sorrow on the faces of those present.

Now, slowly stalking towards the Lady Frigga, she drew her narration to a close,

"As soon as word reached us, my sisters and I conspired with all the practitioners who had a grudge against you…an endeavour that took us numerous weeks on account of the number involved. Finally, it was decided that I would be the one carrying out the assault, with the magical backing of all my fellow practitioners. And now, Asgard has fallen to me, and finally, we can have our vengeance."

Standing before Frigga, she slowly reached out to caress her head, speaking in a voice that all could hear,

"Know that I do not hate you, Lady Frigga, if anything I envy you for being the most important thing to him. For that reason, I will grant you the only quick and dignified death here, on account of my respect for the Dark Prince."

As her free hand came up, Thor struggled futilely against the magical bonds pinning him in place, while Odin slumped in defeat as another attempt to brute force his way through the magic failed.

Frigga's eyes showed no fear as magic gathered in the invader's hand.

Just as the blow was about to be struck, a cool voice interrupted her, causing her face to pale in fear and tension to seep out of Frigga's form,

"What do you think you are doing, Amora?"

Abandoning her hold on the Queen, Amora slowly turned to look at the person now standing before her.

From his hair, which was the blackness of the space in between worlds, past his face, which was as pale as moonlight, to his eyes, blazing emeralds like the stars in the heavens, to the soles of his black clad feet, he was the embodiment of power and magic; possessing a presence that caused the very fabric of reality to sing in rapture around him.

Swallowing in fear, she tilted her head up, marshalling her suddenly tattered courage to face down the man before her.

Even though she wielded the magical might of over fifty powerful practitioners, she knew not to take her new opponent lightly.

Giving no forewarning, she flung her hand outwards and loosed a magical discharge that howled through the air, leaving the scent of ozone in its wake.

Loki, for his part, merely sidestepped the assault as he began a slow and measured walk towards Amora, who continued to hurl attacks at him that he either evaded with enviable grace, or deflected with powerful magic.

No matter what she hurled at him, he kept on getting closer, relentless in his approach.

Suddenly, Amora threw her hand forward with a triumphant gleam in her eye, and though no magic leapt forth, she still looked victorious.

Frigga let loose a warning cry as she spied Mjölnir hurtling towards Loki's back.

Without even a hitch in his stride, Loki's right hand snapped back and grasped the mighty hammer, stunning all present as he effortlessly wielded it with an elegance that the more brutish Thor never had.

Pointing the hammer at Amora, he only gave her time to understand what was about to happen, before he called upon the power of the weapon.

Blinding white lightning roared from the hammer, striking Amora and tearing her body apart.

Deathly silent black lightning erupted from the hammer, striking Amora and tearing her soul apart.

Once the light show ended, and the thunder stopped rumbling across the room, ashes drifted down from where Amora had once stood, the only remnants of Loki's fury.

In the silence that descended after Amora's defeat, Loki's footfalls were still not heard as he glided across the floor towards his mother, ignoring the still bound forms around him.

Lifting her to her feet with gentle hands, he smiled down at her and said,

"I have returned, Mother."

And with a loving smile that seemed to light up the entire room, she replied,

"Welcome home, My Son."

* * *

**A little background here. Fans of this fandom have differing views on Odin's parenting. I think he failed...woefully. So, here is my AU where Loki realized early on that Odin would never give him what he desired most, and so switched his loyalty to his mother, who loved him as his father never could. Under Frigga, Loki would be the model "Mama's Boy" including being the best at whatever he does to make her proud...namely, sorcery. So, in place of Odin's silent disapproval of his pursuit of the magical arts, Frigga's unfailing support will cause him to be even better than canon Loki might have been...to become a true god of Chaos.**


	7. Not Guilty, your Honor

Quietly making his way down into the darkened kitchen, Harry Potter froze as he felt the tip of a wand suddenly poking his jugular.

A growl had him smirking slightly into the dark,

"Sloppy Potter; even if you're inside your own home, constant vigilance!"

Just then, the lights came on, allowing him to view the gathering of people in his relatives' kitchen, and in particular, the heavily scarred retired auror holding a wand to his throat.

Noticing the smirk on the teen's face, Alastor gazed down to find another wand resting against his thigh, with its tip unerringly pointed towards his family jewels.

Letting loose a sharp bark of laughter, he nodded in approval before suddenly becoming stern faced,

"Prove that you are indeed Potter, boy."

Here, Harry merely raised an eyebrow and turned to face his brown haired former DADA professor.

Getting the hint, Remus stepped forward and asked a question only Harry would know.

Once he confirmed the answer, he nodded at Moody who then released Harry.

Now that he was no longer being held at wand point, Harry continued on to do what he had come downstairs to do; get a drink of water.

Mad-eye's magical eyeball roved madly across the room, constantly keeping an eye on everything in the vicinity, while his normal eye fixed on the black haired teen.

Now with a glass of water in hand, Harry finally turned to face the room at large and rested against the counter behind him.

Before anything else could be said, Alastor spoke up in a gruff tone,

"Well, aren't you going to demand proof of our own identities Potter?"

Shrugging at his question, Harry calmly replied,

"And why should I?"

Frowning at what he believed to be carelessness, Alastor flicked his wand, intending to send a mild stinging hex at the relaxed teen.

Everyone present gaped as nothing happened, while Mad-eye narrowed his normal eye and growled in irritation.

Allowing an amused smile to grace his face, Harry then said,

"Really Mad-eye, you think you can come in here and harm me, under wards whose very foundation is the blood that runs in my own veins?"

Remus, being the smartest adult present, was the first to realize the truth of Harry's words.

Speaking up before Alastor could, he said with a questioning tone,

"That's interesting Harry. I had no idea they worked like that."

Focusing on his former teacher, Harry replied,

"Well, I didn't either, but I was hardly going to trust in wards that I didn't understand."

Nodding in approval at the teen's good sense, Remus then proceeded to introduce everyone present, finally ending on a pink-haired young woman who had been sneaking looks at him for some time.

Pointing out that they had wasted enough time as it was, Remus asked Tonks to go up and help Harry retrieve his luggage.

Harry's hasty refusal had many eyebrows raising in confusion, before Mad-eye let loose a gravelly chuckle and said,

"Leave it Tonks. Let the boy see to his…guests in private."

Stoically refusing to blush at the leer Mad-eye sent his way, Harry hurried upstairs to get his _guests _awake and to let them know that he would be leaving for the year.

Coming back down after a half hour, Harry bore the looks of amusement sent his way once those present noticed how messy his hair and clothes now were, as well as how red his lips were as well.

Turning from Remus' raised eyebrow, he faced Moody and waited for instructions on how they would be getting to their destination.

* * *

Stepping into the darkened hallway, Harry glided across the floor on silent feet as he made his way towards the room where his friends were staying.

Pausing at the door as his hearing picked up on a variety of voices in the room, he took a fortifying breath before knocking on the door, causing sudden silence to befall the room.

Pushing the door open, he easily absorbed the impact of Hermione crashing into him in flurry of brown hair and grasping arms.

Returning the hug and deciphering the hastily spoken words, Harry finally managed to get her to let go of him long enough to greet Ron and the twins who were also present.

Once the greetings were over and done with, Harry noticed the slightly uneasy looks being thrown his way by Ron and Hermione, and the anticipation on the faces of the twins.

Acting as though he had no idea what they were waiting for, he casually inquired,

"So…had a good break?"

After the four teens had managed to pick their jaws off the floor, Fred and George burst out into raucous laughter as Hermione spluttered at Harry's mundane question.

Finally arriving at her wit's end, she threw up her hand and said,

"Oh Harry, we know that you didn't like not being told anything, but Dumbledore insisted that we keep our letters vague and –"

Raising a hand to interrupt her, he shrugged and said,

"I know…so, had a good break?"

And finally realizing that Harry really was not going to explode in anger, Ron and Hermione hesitantly replied and engaged him in conversation, both secretly glad that Harry was not holding them accountable for their vague letters, though Hermione kept giving him confused looks when she looked at him.

* * *

Surging to his feet as the door opened, Sirius Black released a relieved bark of laughter as Harry crashed into his chest, hugging him just as fiercely as he was hugging his godson back.

Finally pulling apart, he looked at the boy who had quickly become the most important thing to him and said,

"God I've missed you kiddo."

Beaming at his godfather, Harry just hugged him again in place of a reply.

Once everyone was finally seated, with Harry sitting right next to Sirius, dinner finally began.

Sirius, who had expected some questioning from his godson, finally decided to address the elephant in the room and said,

"So, Harry, anything you want to know?"

Blinking at his godfather as the room fell into uneasy silence, Harry hummed in contemplation while the unease around him grew, before he finally decided to take pity on the people present and replied,

"Well, I can imagine that even if I did, practically everyone else here would not want me to; no doubt from some attempt to keep me away from such unpleasantness. Thanks Sirius, but you don't have to tell me anything; it will all come out later this year when Voldemort makes another attempt on my life."

Ignoring the startled flinching that was caused by his use of the Dark Lord's moniker, Harry kept his eyes locked on his godfather while the others shifted in discomfort at his words, finding themselves unable to dispute anything that he had just said.

Speaking up again, Harry changed the subject by stating,

"Forget that, what I want to know is why the house is such a mess."

Not one to miss out on an opportunity to badmouth his family, Sirius explained the history of the house and the current state of mind of its caretaker, Kreacher.

Molly Weasley also piped in to add that the children – _including you too Harry dear, if you don't mind_ – would be seeing to cleaning a majority of the house, as they had been for the past few days.

Turning to Hermione with a question on his face, Hermione responded,

"Yeah, we have been trying to get things clean for a while now, but it is slow going with us not able to use magic."

Still, Hermione noticed that her answer only seemed to confuse Harry even more, but before she could inquire about it, he posed a question to Sirius.

"This house is under the Fidelius Charm right?"

Getting a nod from Sirius and some others at the table, he asked again,

"So, if I remember what I learned about it from Third Year" – and here, both Remus and Sirius winced as they realized why Harry would have bothered learning about such a charm that year – "then for all intents and purposes, this house does not exist to those not in on its secret."

Getting a careful nod from Remus, Harry merely huffed, took out his wand, and before anyone could stop him, pressed its tip to the table and said,

"Scourgify"

There were aborted cries of dismay from those around him, before a gentle wave of what felt like a fresh spring breeze washed over everyone and everything present, starting from the tip of the wand and expanding like a ripple to cover the entire house.

Once everyone had their bearings back, eyes bulged in shock as gazes fell on the now pristine dining table, before trailing around to take in the changes that had been made everywhere they looked.

This was the Black Ancestral Home as it had once been at the height of its splendor.

Whirling from where she had been looking at the gleaming walls of the room, Hermione sucked in a deep breath as she prepared to scold Harry for performing magic outside school, especially when he already had a hearing scheduled for the next day.

However, before she could begin, Harry nonchalantly asked,

"Awfully late aren't they? I would think that a letter from the ministry would be here by now."

Pausing as she registered his words, Hermione and those present gazed around in question, looking for the ministry owl that was meant to be swooping in for the use of underage magic.

The sudden sound of soft laughter had everyone looking to Remus who had an amused look on his face and an unreadable look in his eyes as he focused on Harry.

Once more the first to understand what Harry had just done, Remus merely offered to the room,

"The Fidelius charm would be an inefficient hiding method if it were incapable of hiding magic use from any and all sensors."

And as the eyes of those present widened in dawning realization, Harry just smiled and returned to his meal.

* * *

Conscious of the eyes focused on him, Harry did not falter as he entered the courtroom, unerringly making his way towards the foreboding chair situated in the middle of the room.

Once he got to his destination, he executed a graceful swirl that ended with him reclining in the seat as though it were the most comfortable throne in the whole world.

The combination of his relaxed but regal posture, and the well made robes he was wearing, made him look like a prince listening to the supplications of his people.

Fudge was not amused.

Accepting that his attempt to get the boy convicted due to his absence had just failed, he moved on to plan B.

Bringing the court to order, he began,

"The hearing for one Harry James Potter will now begin…"

Finishing the mandatory proceedings before they could actually begin, he ended with,

"…and council for the defence…"

Ever the showman, Albus Dumbledore chose that moment to stride into the court room, prepared to submit himself as Harry's defence.

It was unnecessary.

Pausing in surprise as a smooth voice cut him off before he could begin, Dumbledore felt his well laid plans shattering under the weight of the words spoken,

"If it pleases the court, I will serve as my own council."

Staring in surprise at the boy, Fudge wasted no time in taking advantage of whatever bad blood seemingly lay between the headmaster and his student.

Sending a smug smile at the visibly flustered Chief Warlock, Fudge hurried on,

"Very well…You, the accused, are charged with the violation of the Statute of Secrecy, when you knowingly performed magic in the presence of a Muggle, one Dudley Dursley. How do you plead?"

Raising his eyes from where they had been focused on the floor during Fudge's words, Harry let a small smirk slide onto his face as he drawled out,

"Not guilty"

Fudge, obliviously continued on,

"Very well then, in accordance with the – _what_?!"

Spluttering in shock and outrage once he had fully processed what Harry had said, Fudge demanded, face reddening in anger,

"What do you mean, not guilty?"

Raising an eyebrow in silent mockery, Harry replied,

"Do you need me to spell the words out for you, Minister?"

Grinding his teeth as he picked up some snickering from behind him, Fudge clenched his fists as he fought – and failed – to keep the snarl of fury from his voice,

"Need I remind you, boy, that lying to this court is an offense that will –"

"Come now, Cornelius, let us not give into our anger here. Please explain to the court, Mr Potter, why you think yourself innocent of this charge?"

Madame Bones' cool voice interrupted Fudge's tirade, defusing some of the tension from the room.

Inclining his head in gratitude towards the woman, Harry finally sat up in his seat, and crossing his legs, began to speak while those present unconsciously leaned forward in interest,

"The reason I plead not guilty, Madame Bones, is because I am. The charge is, if I heard correctly, that I did knowingly use magic in the presence of a Muggle, one Dudley Dursley. However, a simple check will reveal to you that the charge is in fact false. I did not use magic in the presence of a Muggle, I used it in the presence of a _squib_."

For a moment, the courtroom was silent, until a woman dressed in a truly disturbing pink getup let loose a derisive giggle, before her high pitched voice rang out,

"Nice try, Potter, but our reports note that the…squib…Arabella Figg, did not show up until after the act had been performed."

Giving the woman an amused look that seemed to annoy her, Harry calmly replied,

"The squib I am referring to is Dudley Dursley."

At his words, the courtroom descended into chaos as many questions were hurled at him, while in the background, Harry reclined in his seat to watch the bedlam, absently wishing for some popcorn.

Albus Dumbledore was peripherally aware that he had a stunned look on his face, but he was past the point of caring.

His blue eyes were fixed on the black haired teen currently observing the chaos he had just wrought with a few words.

During the young wizard's stay in his relatives' home, Albus had told the teen's friends not to contact the boy, impressing upon them the importance of keeping certain information secret.

He had placed guards to watch him in his home, and none of them had reported anything suspicious, though they had mentioned that Harry had seemingly vanished into his room for about three days straight, before he had reappeared again, dressed in better clothes and looking less burdened than he had before.

The letters which Harry had sent to them had not contained any demands for information, much to the surprise of just about everyone who knew the teen.

Instead, they had been filled with mundane things that somehow always seemed to bring a smile to his godfather's face, and looks of confusion on just about everyone else's.

Still, Albus had not been worried.

Now, he was thinking that maybe he should have been.

Finally drawing the court to order, after having had to repair the broken gavel twice, Fudge fixed a glare on the placid features of the famous young wizard and spoke in a soft voice brimming with warning,

"Dudley Dursley is a Muggle."

A smile broke out on Harry's face and he merely said nothing while some of those present began to mutter at his silence.

Just before Fudge reached the end of his tether, the door to the room was opened and a young woman stumbled inside, obviously intimidated to be in the presence of so many notable persons.

Zeroing in on the teen seated in the chair, she bustled over to him and deposited a few leaves of parchment into his hand, before beating a hasty retreat.

Spending a moment to read through the information, while ignoring the increasingly incensed glare being sent his way from two sources, Harry finally hummed to himself and held out the leaves of parchment to Madame Bones, who, getting the hint, summoned them from his hand.

Reading through it twice to confirm what she had read the first time, Madame Bones cleared her throat and said,

"Mr Potter is correct; his cousin is, in fact, a squib."

Fudge's face paled slightly as all his plans crashed and burned. Gritting his teeth at being made a fool of, he snarled out,

"Fine, the charges are dismissed in light of this new information. Harry James Potter, you are cleared of all charges and I move to end this –"

Halting with his mouth open, Fudge could only gape at Harry's raised hand and the his audacity in interrupting the minister, while the teen took the opportunity to speak,

"Now, Minister, we aren't quite finished. After all, there is the matter of my being tried by a full Wizengamot…as though I were an _adult_ in the eyes of this court."

As he heard a barely smothered choke from behind him, Harry allowed a small and evil grin to show on his face as the members of the Wizengamot shifted in sudden discomfort.

* * *

**Yeah...this one was kind of random...during one of my classes today, I just wondered about a few things, mainly the Fidelius Charm and the Dursleys...but, in between classes and working on Little Things (which by the way is proving difficult to write...my fault, I guess, for setting up such an epic clash) I just thought I'd scratch this out on my phone...enjoy and please forgive the no doubt numerous errors that come with working on a phone.**


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